CHAPTER 5

 

        POSITION CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM AND COMPENSATION PLAN

 

 

STATEMENT OF POLICY

 

The purpose of this chapter is to develop and maintain a system for the objective, consistent and timely classification of all classified positions and for the reasonable and consistent assignment of classes of positions to pay grades.

 

Compensation of position classes shall be based on Know-How, Problem Solving, and Accountability. Where not otherwise specified by laws, pay relationships shall take into consideration prevailing wage in the primary area of recruitment for the same or related classes of positions.

 

The compensation for non-medical personnel shall remain consistent with compensation plans and pay scales as determined by the Civil Service Commission or its successor as stipulated in Public Law 28-68, Chapter II, Health, Section 33.  The compensation plan for medical personnel is subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees.

 

5.000         POSITION CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM

 

5.001 The Official Classification Plan

                   

Title 4, Chapter 6 of the Guam Code Annotated established the "Uniform Position Classification and Salary Administration Act of 1991."

 

 

5.002 Preparation and Publication of Classification Standards

 

Classification standards established by the Civil Service Commission placed positions in their proper classes and pay grades to:

 

A.      define the various classes of positions that exist in the classified service in terms of duties, responsibilities and qualification requirements. Standards may be created, amended or abolished;

 

B.      establish the official class titles; and

 

C.      set forth the pay grades.

 

5.003 Delegation of Classification Authority and Responsibility

 

The Administrator, as delegated by the Civil Service Commission is authorized to classify individual positions under its jurisdiction, subject to:

 

A.      existing policies and procedures;

 

B.      class standards published by the Commission;

 

C.      post‑audit by the Commission; and

 

D.      classification appeal by the employee.

 

The Administrator may review published standards and submit amendments to the standards for approval by the Commission.

 

5.004 Classification Maintenance

 

A.      The Commission may review positions in the Hospital to determine whether positions are allocated to classes and grades in conformance with, or consistent with the uniform and unified system of position classification and compensation.

 

B.      Positions shall be placed in its appropriate class and grade, provided that if a position is downgraded, the position title and pay grade shall not be applicable to an incumbent until the expiration of two years from the date of downgrade.  The Hospital shall take action in accordance with such determination.

 

C.      Whenever the Commission finds that the positions are not placed in classes and grades in conformance with the uniform and unified system, it may prescribe, revoke or suspend in whole, or in part the classification authority of the Administrator.  Further, the Commission may require its prior approval be secured before an action placing a position in a class and pay grade becomes effective for payroll and other purposes.  The Commission may at any time restore such authority to the extent that it is satisfied that subsequent actions placing positions in classes and pay grades will be taken in conformance with the Classification Plan.

 

5.005 Class specifications

 

The class specifications shall be considered in allocating positions and shall be applied as follows:

 

A.      Class specifications are descriptive and explanatory and are not restrictive.  The use of a particular expression or illustration of duties, qualification requirements or other attributes shall not be regarded as excluding others not mentioned which are of similar nature.

 

B.      In determining the class to which any position shall be allocated, the specifications for each class shall be considered as a whole. Consideration shall be given to the general duties, specific tasks, responsibilities, minimum qualification requirements, and relationships to other classes consistent with statutory provisions.

 

C.      A class specification shall be construed as general description of kinds of work characteristic of positions that are properly allocated to that class, and not as prescribing what the duties or responsibilities of any position shall be; nor as limiting or modifying the authority which the Administrator has to take from, add to, eliminate entirely, or otherwise change the duties and responsibilities; to assign duties or delegate responsibilities to employees; or direct and control their work.

 

D.      The fact that all of the actual tasks performed by the incumbent of a position do not appear in the specification of a class to which the position has been allocated, shall not be taken to mean that the position is necessarily excluded from the class, nor shall any one example of a typical task taken without relation to the other parts of the specification be construed as determining that a position should be allocated to the class.

 

E.      The statement of minimum qualification is to be construed as an expression of the minimum knowledge, abilities and skills, and experience and training which would be required of any appointee to a position in the class as partial evidence of his ability to perform the work satisfactorily.

 

F.       Qualification requirements in the specification for any class, as interpreted herein, shall constitute the basis for other tests to be included in examinations for the class, and for the evaluation of qualifications of applicants.

 

5.006 Title of Positions

 

The assigned class title shall be the official title for the purpose of personnel actions, and shall be used on payroll, budget, and official records and reports.  This requirement, however, shall not prevent the use of organizational or other titles for internal administration, public convenience, or similar purposes.

 

5.007 Position Description

 

A.      The Hospital must prepare a written description of duties and responsibilities of each budgeted position on a form prescribed by the Commission.  A group of like positions may be covered by a single description.  The employee, supervisor and/or position classifier may prepare the description.  However, the major responsibility to insure accurate descriptions is on the supervisor.

 

B.      The supervisor must certify as to the accuracy of the duties assigned and such certification should be authenticated by the department head and/or division manager.  The position classifier must certify as to the proper classification of the position.   Copies of the position description must be filed with the Commission, the Hospital’s Human Resources Division and the respective department concerned.

 

C.      The position description must be amended whenever significant changes occur that would affect the recruitment and classification of a position, and must be promptly reported to the Administrator so that a review of the position can be made to determine the proper classification of the position.

 

 

 

5.008           Hospital Responsibilities

 

A.      The Hospital shall insure that the duties and responsibilities assigned to each of its positions are accurately reflected in an official position description.  Amended descriptions should be submitted on a timely basis if significant changes in the duties and responsibilities of a position are made.

 

B.                 The Hospital shall not use the classification process to evade the principles of the merit system and effect personnel changes for which other personnel processes exist.

 

5.009 Periodic Review of Descriptions and Classifications

 

In addition to the day‑to-day work of describing and classifying new or changed positions to reflect current duties assigned and reported by supervisors or employees, the  Administrator must review, at intervals not exceeding two years, all positions of the classified service within the Hospital to insure that the official position descriptions accurately reflect the work being performed and that the positions are properly classified, and shall take appropriate action as necessary.

 

The Civil Service Commission, in collaboration with the Hospital’s nursing administrator, shall update the class specifications pertaining to duties, requirements and experience of all nursing classifications.  The class specifications shall be re-evaluated every three (3) years, and changes shall be made as indicated.

 

5.010 Determination of Proper Allocation for Newly Budgeted or Vacant Positions

 

When a new position is to be established/budgeted or vacant position is to be filled, Department head and/or Division Manager shall submit a position description to the Administrator in order that a determination of proper classification and pay allocation may be made.  After the Administrator approves the allocation, he shall notify the Department head and/or Division Manager affected, in writing, of the approved allocation.  No position may be filled until the Administrator certifies that the position is properly classified.  Copies of all classification reviews shall be filed with the Commission for post-­audit purposes.

 

5.011 Reclassification/Reallocation of Positions

 

A.                The Administrator may, upon his own initiative, or upon the written request of a permanent employee, or the Department head and/or Division Manager, review the duties of any position to determine if it is properly classified; and shall take appropriate action as necessary, in accordance with the Commission's regulations, policies and procedures. 

 

In making a request for the review of a position, the employee or the department head and/or Division Manager shall set forth the changes that have occurred in the particular position since the last review or other factors which in his opinion warrant reclassification provided, that such changes in duties and responsibilities have been acquired or performed for at least three months and are not temporary in nature.

 

B.      The Personnel Services Administrator shall, after a thorough review of position, notify the department head and/or division manager and employee affected of the classification study result within 20 work days from the completion of the audit.  A copy of the study, documented in a form prescribed by the Commission, and the personnel action shall be filed with the Commission for post‑audit purposes.

 

 

 

5.012 Effective Date of Reclassification of Positions

 

A.      When a position is reclassified to a class of the same or higher pay grade, the effective date of such reclassification shall not be prior to the date of the Administrator's approval.

 

B.      When a position is reclassified to a class of a lower pay grade, the effective date of such reclassification shall not be applicable to an incumbent until the expiration of two years from the date of downgrade.

 

5.013 Status of Incumbents when Positions Are Reallocated

 

A.      When a position is reallocated as a result of gradual accretion of duties and responsibilities, the employee in the position shall be entitled to serve in that class provided he continues to perform the same basic functions and meets the minimum qualifications for the class to which the position is reallocated.   Reallocation within a series of positions that is non-supervisory shall be without competition.

 

B.      When a position is reallocated as a result of planned management action, the requirements of the Merit Career Plan must be complied with.   The employee holding a permanent position shall retain the position currently held should the requirements of the Merit Career Plan result in his non-selection.

 

C.      If ineligible for reallocation to the position as identified, the employee may be transferred, promoted, or demoted to an appropriate class by appropriate action in accordance with the provisions of these rules.

 

D.      The incumbent of the position designated for downgrade shall not have his current salary reduced.  Salary adjustment in the reclassified position shall be suspended until the incumbent’s salary increment in the new grade is granted.  This salary adjustment is subsequent to Rule 5.012.B.

 

5.014 Administrative Review

 

A.                An administrative review may be requested by an employee of the position, or his designated representative acting on his behalf or, the department head and/or division manager in which the position is located under.

 

B.                All requests for administrative review must be in writing, shall contain the specific reason(s) for disagreement with the classification action taken by the Administrator, and shall state the action requested and the reasons the action is deemed more appropriate.

 

C.                An administrative review consists of a reevaluation of a classification action and is, therefore confined to the duties and responsibilities assigned to the position at the time the description was prepared, and which were the basis for the classification action. Subsequent changes in duties and responsibilities cannot be the basis for a request for administrative review, but must be reported on a new description and submitted for another classification action.

 

D.               The department head and or division manager shall notify the affected employees of the original notice of classification action immediately upon receipt from the Administrator.  Requests for administrative review shall be filed with the Administrator within 20 calendar days of the date of notice of classification action was received by the employee.

 

E.                The Administrator shall take such action as he deems appropriate, which may include rescinding the earlier action and taking a different classification action.  The affected employee and department head and/or division manager shall be notified of the action taken.

 

F.                 Any permanent employee whose position is reviewed may appeal to the Commission.  The employee may file a written appeal with the Commission within 15 calendar days upon receipt of the decision justifying the reasons for the review.

 

5.015 Creation of New Positions and Classes of Positions

 

A.      Pursuant to Section 6303, Title 4, GCA, new positions or classes of positions may be created by the Governor when necessary for the efficient performance of the duties and functions of the Hospital.  The position description of the created positions shall be submitted to Commission within 30 calendar days after creation.  The position shall be terminated unless approved by the Commission within 90 days after submission.  No newly created position shall be filled in the absence of appropriations to pay the salary of the proposed position.  This provision shall not apply to any and all positions specifically required by law to be confirmed by the Guam Legislature.

 

B.      Any request for creation of a new class or classes of positions must be submitted in accordance with the Commission's policies and procedures.

 

5.100 COMPENSATION PLAN

 

5.101 Assignment of Classes to Pay Grades

 

Pay grades for all classes of positions in the classified service are assigned by the Commission.

 

5.102 Evaluation of Classes for Assignment to Pay Grades

 

A.      Classes shall be evaluated on the basis of job know‑how, problem solving and accountability consistent with the Hay Methodology of Position Classification and Salary Administration Guidelines.

 

B.      The assignment of classes of pay grades shall be in accordance with policies and standards established in conformance with statute and the following principles:

 

1.       Classes, which are related and are substantially equal, shall be assigned to the same pay grade.

 

2.       Significant differences between related classes in job know‑how, problem solving and accountability shall be reflected in the relative difference in assignment to pay grades.